Refrigerator.



UNITED STATES PATENT OIFICE.

GEORGE c. man, or

BRAINERD, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WM. H. HERRMANN, F BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

REFRIGERATUB.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Appiicaiion inea Augiisi 1o, 191s. serial No. 114,179.

-To all whom it may concern.'

tion.

My invention relates to refrigerators and has for its object to provide a refrigerator formed of two shells of concrete one within the other, the inner shell having cast in it a tubular coil through which a cooling liquid may be circulated to cool the interior of the device.

A further object is to form vthe inner shell so as to just pass through the opening in the outer shell to provide a suitable dead air space, the joint between the two shells being sealed from without. Astill further object is t0 form a tight jointbetween the coil terminal and the outer shell, to which end I provide a hollow boss formed on the interior of the outer shell which comes in contact with the inner shell and registers with the coil terminal. Through this hollow boss a pipe connection ma'y pass and be coupled to the coil terminal, the space about said connection and the boss being sealed up similar to the joint between the shells, thus securely embedding the pipes in both shells and forming a perfectly tight air space.

A still further object is to connect` my refrigerator to a watersupply system so as t0 permit all of the water used in the system for ordinary purposes to pass through the refrigerator for cooling the same or to pass by it, as desired.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detail-ed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im As clearly shown in the drawings, my invention comprises two independent shells or members 10 and 11 which are formed separately and assembled to provide a dead air space 12 almost completely surrounding shell 10 on three sides. Shell 10 is preferably rectangular, having a bottom and top 13 and 14, end walls 15 and 16 and a single side wall 17 being open at the other side. lVithin the top and bottom 13 and 14 and the end walls 15 and 16 is embedded a tubular coil formed of vert-ical pipes 18 and 21 and horizontal pipes 19 and 20 connected continuously together with suitable pipe fittings. At the unions of pipes 18 and 20, which occur at the bottom of shell 10, a

number of T-littings 22 are provided whichv have one of their openings positioned in alinement with pipes 20 flush with the exterior of wall 15 for a purpose to be later explained. At the extreme ends of the coil, pipes 19 and 2O are provided with coupling fittings 23 which also come flush with the exterior of wall 16. The exposed ends 24 of the walls 13, 14, 15 and 16 Yarel provided with an angle iron 25 securely anchored in the concrete and extending perimetrically about the opening in member 10 for serving as a door frame.-

Shell 11 is formed similar to shell 10 but is of larger dimensions to provide the air space 12 previously referred to and comprises a top and bottom 26 and 27, end walls 28 and 29 and a single side wall 30, being open at the opposite side. Along this opening Yis formed a llip 31 which extends completely about the same and which is of a size just large enough to permit of inserting the shell 10 into the space within shell 11. At the corners of shell 11, and at other positions, are arranged a number of blocks 32 which may be formed separate or may be cast integral therewith for supporting the inner shell 10 and for holding the same in place. Lip 31 may be formed if desired with a slightly oblique edge which, as .will be noted,

faces the outward Hanges ofthe angle iron Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

tions through the shell il can best be coinprehended from Figs. I5; and 4. A hollow lug or boss 33 is formed 0n the interior of shell ll to register with each of the various openings in the pipe fittings exposed in the shell 10 and comes up flush with the Walls of member 10 when the same is in place. rlhe holes in bosses 33 extend completely through them and the respective walls of shell ll and are considerably larger than the pipes of the coil or the iitting thereof. After the shell l0 secured in place a nipple 34 is inserted through boss and screwed into the fitting exposed. The space about said nipple and boss is then sealed at 37 similarly to the joint between the two members, rendering the space 12 absolutely airtight.

In Figs. l and 4 can best be seen the door construction. preferably employ two doors 35 and 36 formed of concrete within an angle iron casing 89. These doors are hung within the frame formed by the angles 25 and may be provided with double glazed windows 4() and 41 if desired. lt will be comprehended that the doors or any other portion of the refrigerator may be reinforced if found necessary7 though the walls through which lthe pipes extend being somewhat thicker than the other walls will not need any such expedient. When the refrigerator is to rest upon the ground I provide feet '4:2 which are bolted to the member ll before the assemblage of the device.

rThe method of connecting the coil to the water-supply main and the operation of the device are explained as follows. The free ends of the coil are connected to a pair of valves 43 and 4.4 which are brought out one above the other by means of a pipe 45 extending horizontally from either of the coil terminals to the corresponding valve. These valves are further connected by suitable f1ttings to a vertical pipe 46 which has interposed in it a valve 47 positioned between valves 43 and 44. By this arrangement all of the water passing through the supply pipe can be caused to flow through or by the refrigerator at will. When valve 47 is closed and valves 43 and 44 open, water entering either end of pipe 46 will iiow through the coil and out of the other end of this pipe. vWhen the closure of the valves is reversed the water will pass directly through pipe 46 without entering the coil. To prevent the water within the coil from freezing When the refrigerator is left in a relatively cold place during'the winter. I provide a number of cocks 48 attached to the T-ittings 22, one for each convolution of the pipe7 by means of which the coil may be perfectly drained. To effect this valves 44 and 47 are closed and the .valve 43 and the cocks 48 temporarily opened. When the water is out valve 43 is closed and valve e7 opened, which Lef/snes permits the water to be used for ordinary purposes without passing through the refrigerator.

Although my refrigerator is especially adapted to be used in conjunction with ordinary water-supply systems. the same will operate equally well with any of the cooling systems now in use. By coating the exterior and interior of the device with enamel paint or a similar substance the `refrigerator can withstand water or dampness and will be found to be absolutely sanitary. as there are no pockets or crevices exposed in which food substances can lodge.

I ^laim:

l. A regrigerator comprising an inner and an outer shell of moldable material separated froi'n each other by an air space. a cooling-liquid circulating coil embedded within said inner shell. and connections with said coil for maintaining a flow of cooling liquid therethrough from outside the refrigerator.

2. A refrigerator comprising a casing. a coiled pipe en'ibedded within the casing passing about the top and bottom and the ends of the casing and having its extremities issuing from diagonal corners of one end thereof. a pipe connected with one of said coil ends and extending along the case to a point in vertical alinement with said other coil end. a vertical feed pipe communicating with both of said coil ends, valves in the connections to said coil ends adjacent said vertical pipe for cutting the coil in or out of conmmnication with said vertical pipe, and a valve interposed in said vertical pipe for ceausing the cooling fluid to flow through the coil or directly through said pipe.

3. A refrigerator comprising a casing. a coiled pipe embedded within the casing passing about thev top and bottom and the ends of the casing and having its extremities issuingr from diagonal corners of one end thereof. a pipe connected with one of said coil ends and extending along the case to a point in vertical alinement with said other coil end. a vertical feed pipe communicating with both of said coil ends. valves in the connections to said coil4 ends adjacent said vertical pipe for cutting the coil in or out of communication with said vertical pipe, a valve interposed in said vertical pipe for causing the cooling fluid to flow through the coil or directly through said pipe, and means for draining the coil when it is desired to have the water flow directly through said water-supply pipe.

4. A refrigerator comprising an inner shell of concrete having a cooling-liquid circulating coil embedded in the walls thereof. an outer shell of larger dimensions than said inner shell having a lip extending around the edge of one side forming an opening through which said inner shell may just be passed, means for supporting thel inner shell within the outer shell in conjunction with said lip, and pipe connections pass- 'ing through said outershell and communil an outer shell of moldable material separated from each other by an air space, a Icoolingliquid circulating coil embedded within said inner shell, each e'nd of said coil extending outwardly through said shells, a pipe connectedwith one of saidcoil ends and extending along the outer`she1l to a point in vertical alinement with the other coil end, a ver- A tical feed pipe connected wit-h the latter-,coil

end and'with the end ofpsaid pipe which is in vertical alinement therewith, a valve in each of said connections, a valvein said vertical pipe between said connections, two hollow bosses formed interiorly of one end Wall of said outer shell through which the coil ends pass, a plurality of hollow bosses formed interiorly of the other end wall of said outer shell, nipples-connected with said coil and extending out through said bosses and cocks on the outer ends of said nipples. In testimony whereof I alix my signature 4in presence of two-witnesses.

GEORGE o. KERR.

v Witnesses:

EDWIN Q. SwANsoN, GoTHFRnD S. SWANsoN. 

